Sunday 1st November 2020: All Saints

Sunday 1st November 2020

All Saints

BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH

A short service for use at home 

 The hymns are chosen mostly from the church hymnbook 

Songs of Fellowship 

If you don't have a copy of the hymnbook at home, you can often find a video of the hymn on Youtube with the words displayed on video. Also, you can find the Bible readings online at several websites. Search for the specific chapter and verse (e.g. Exodus16, 1-15)

Prepared for Burton Joyce Community Church by Phil Colbourn. Prayer* adapted from New Zealand Prayer Book. Spend time with God as we share together this time of worship.

WELCOME

Today we celebrate the festival of All Saints

*Eternal God, you take men & women of every nation, age & colour to be saints: transforming them by grace, baptising them in your Spirit & filling them with life overflowing; so now lead us in paths of inexpressible joy, in Jesus name. Amen

We begin with this very well-known hymn:

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 109.

For all the saints who from their labours rest

PRAYER AND PRAISE

Praise and glory to the Lord who is the Head of the Church

Praise and glory to the Lord who leads his people out of darkness

Praise and glory to the Lord who is the living Word 

We bless you, O Lord our God, for the glory of this your world

We bless you that your love is new every morning

We bless you that you are making all things new

Praise and glory to our God, Father Son & Holy Spirit. Amen

CONFESSION

We are sorry for the suffering in our society: people losing loved ones & livelihood; families struggling to make ends meet. Father, forgive us.

We are sorry for the injustices & inequalities with which communities & individuals have struggled for years. Father, forgive us.

We are sorry that we have failed to care for your wonderful world & for one another. Help us, O Lord.  Father, forgive us.

Jesus says:

"Come to me. 

"Live & work alongside me and you will find rest for your souls." 

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 127.

Glorious things of thee are spoken

READING: 

COLOSSIANS 1, 1-14 

All the saints

REFLECTION: 
I wonder if you can find a map of the world to look at? Or perhaps you can see it inside your head or, even better, draw it out on a piece of paper. Which are the countries or places that hold a special place in your life or in your heart?

We are thinking about all the saints, both those resting from their labours and those still engaged in doing God’s work here on earth. God has his people in every country, in every part of the world. This is something to lift our hearts.

As we celebrate, let us remember the people of God wherever they are, whatever they are doing and in whatever circumstances they are living. And, at the same time, let’s give thanks for all those who have gone ahead to be with the Lord, people we have known, those we know of and those we never knew. 

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 278.

I will sing the wondrous story

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS 

We pray for your people in every country of the world

We pray for your people wherever there is conflict and division

Be with them and comfort them so that they may comfort others. 

We pray for people in our communities who face unemployment, ill-health, isolation & money worries, especially who cannot afford food and heat

Be with them and help us to help them.

We pray for happy relationships, practical support and real hope

We pray for all who grieve

Be with us and help us to be good neighbours to everyone. 

We thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of life

God of truth: May your kingdom come. Amen

We say The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father …

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 70.

Come, let us join our cheerful songs

CLOSING PRAYERS 

May the blessing of God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit, be with us and with all the God’s people everywhere, today, tomorrow and for evermore. Amen

Alternative worship

Alternative worship

Just a reminder that there are plenty of alternatives online when it comes to worship during a pandemic. We may not be able to meet in the church building but, virtually, we can join up with people when ever we want to both local and national and, for that matter, international. Online, we can go anywhere in the world.

Here are some suggestions.

Local

Methodist Circuit 

On Facebook: “Nottingham North East Circuit”

On YouTube: “Nottingham North East Circuit”

https://www.nnemethodist.org.uk/

To listen to the latest service on the phone, see below*

URC Synod

On Facebook: “URC East Midlands Synod”

https://www.urc5.org.uk/

St Andrews with Castlegate, Nottingham

St Helen’s, Burton Joyce, Reverend Anna Alls

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevdAnna/videos/

https://www.facebook.com/RevdAnna/

Southwell Minster

https://www.southwellminster.org/theme/worship-online/

National

Online resources 

There are many excellent collections, for example:

• All Souls, Langham Place: YouTube, Facebook  
• https://www.allsouls.org/
• St Martins in the Field: 
• https://stmartins.digital/
• Central Hall, Westminster: 
• https://methodist-central-hall.org.uk/

(But note, other churches are available!)

* Nottingham North East Methodist Circuit phone-in services

 

Sunday service for 2nd August

Sunday service for 2nd August 

BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Service for Sunday 2^nd August 2020

This short act of worship has been prepared by Deacon Helen Snowball.  Spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you

Our first hymn is from SoF 377 Love Divine, all loves excelling

Time for some prayers͙: Gracious and Loving God, We praise your name, for all your blessings to us, for your grace and mercy. The world is your creation, and all that is in it. For rushing streams, majestic mountains, and crashing seas, we give you thanks.  For all the creatures and birds, the flowers and trees, we give you thanks. For all the times you have guided us, loved us when we have not been worthy, nurtured us when we have been hurt, we give you thanks. When we fail, we let ourselves and you down. When we speak words that do not honour you, we are sorry. When we do not speak out against injustice, we are sorry.  When we do not put you at the centre of our lives, we are sorry.  Because of your love for us, we can be confident of your forgiveness.  We are loved and cherished by you, and we give you thanks that we are washed clean, and able to begin afresh. Thank you, for your gracious, pure and ceaseless love.  Amen.

Our reading is from the gospel of John 6, 1-15

Reflection: It’s not always good to share – if you‘ve got germs, keep them to yourself!  Bad news, about redundancy or closures is something we don’t want to share either!   Mostly, though, it is good to share, things like good news, sweets, chocolate - and the young boy that the disciple Andrew had found knew that. He saw a need.  He didn’t have much, but the very least he could do was share what he had with Jesus. Picture this: we know there are 5000 men here, but women and children are not counted. So we can probably double the figure to 10,000 at the very least. Imagine Jesus sitting quietly with his friends when this huge crowd of people comes towards him. Imagine that view coming towards you, like a wave of people – young men, old men, women and children, fishermen, bakers, carpenters.  Perhaps a few will be wealthy, but most will be poor.  Maybe some are ill and hoping for healing. There is now a small football stadium sized crowd of people approaching Jesus, but he doesn’t turn them away. As usual, he has compassion for them. 

There is a need for food, everyone is hungry, so Jesus tells the disciples:  feed them!  Philip is from the area, he knows that there isn’t a Sainsbury’s nearby, and anyway it would take six month’s wages to feed this crowd. He feels the situation is hopeless, thinking logically, thinking only of what he himself can do.  Andrew is a little more proactive. He comes across the youth somehow, and he takes him to Jesus. Andrew can’t fix it, but he knows a man who can!  Only the evangelist John mentions the boy, clearly like his using of the disciples names he felt it was a significant detail. This miracle could not have happened without Andrew and the boy.

Perhaps John thought the significance of the boy was the fact that he gave up all he had, or that Andrew introduced him to Christ. Without knowing what Jesus would do, the boy willingly goes with Andrew, with his lunch at the ready. We know that this large crowd has followed Jesus because of the miracles and healings they have seen, but I doubt anyone thought much could be done to feed this crowd with five loaves and two fish. Still, he goes to Jesus. Handing his food over, I wonder if he said “It’s not much, but you can have it, it’s all I have”.   How often do we say that to God?  It’s all that I have - giving everything we have over to him and trusting that we can do what is needed.  Perhaps we assume that, even with God, we are inadequate, we’re not enough. Do our feelings of inadequacy prevent us from acting?  Perhaps we don’t trust God enough to get us through difficult situations.  If God has asked us to do something, he must think we can actually do it.

We must never think that what we have is not enough for him to use.  Whatever we have, gifts, time, best intentions, give them to Christ - he’ll know how best to use them.  He’ll know how we can be used to help others to share his Good News and our resources. . God has always known what he wants from us - and he has always known what we can do.  He would never expect more from us than we can deliver.

Whatever little you may think you may have, hand it to Christ, and he will do remarkable things with it.  Amen.

Let’s sing number 72 from SoF, Come let us sing of a wonderful love

Prayers of Intercession:  

We pray for all those affected by Covid 19;  we pray for NHS and key workers.  

We pray for Governments and world leaders.

We pray for the sick and for the bereaved.  

We pray for our friends and our families, near and far.                     

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

Our final hymn is SoF 457  O worship the Lord

Blessing

May you always know the blessings of God in your life.   May you feel his loving presence surrounding you and yours.  May you always feel the light of Christ in your heart.    Amen             

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.  In the name of Christ, Amen

 

Order of Service 19th July 2020

Order of Service 19th July 2020

BURTON JOYCE

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 19 July 2020

Working with the Nottingham North East Circuit of the Methodist Church

Lord, we come to you. Be with us in this time of worship. Amen.

Let’s begin with a hymn, Songs of Fellowship 557

Thou whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard

(Let there be light)

Prayers

Loving God, you know us, and you love us. You have given us all we could ever need; we are blessed by you. You have made the stars of the sky, the sun and the moon, the earth and all that is on it; the seas and the rivers – we are abundantly blessed by your hand. You are our mighty creator God, our compassionate God, our friend and redeemer.

Confession

We come to you in the full knowledge of our failings, that we let you down, but also realising that you are our Forgiving God, and that you will renew us and restore us. We thank you for being our Saving God.

By your mercy, we are forgiven.

By your mercy, we are cleansed and renewed.

We give you thanks for being our merciful God, for sending your son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour & the Holy Spirit as our strength and guide. Amen

Psalm 139
The Inescapable God

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?

12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Reflection

‘Inescapable God’ I find the idea of the Inescapable God comforting – it means even if I try to hide my deepest darkest secrets from everyone else – even myself – I cannot hide from God, so there is no point trying.

God’s complete and utter love, surrounds us & is at work in all of us. Verse 5 is comforting: ‘you lay your hand upon me’. God has a directing hand on my shoulder, leading me to the right path, if I am willing to go.

The Psalmist writes that he is ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’. God knit him together, created his whole being. God knew him before formation; long before birth. God is all encompassing, powerful, eternal and infinite.

This is the God of grace in action: before we were born, before our parents, grandparents or even further back, God knew us & loved us & has bestowed grace on us because he loves us. God chooses us before we choose him.

The final part of the Psalm is a plea for God to search the heart & ‘lead me in the way everlasting’. The way of Christ in righteousness & steadfast love with our Inescapable God, who loves us more than we can ever measure.

Songs of Fellowship 1566

Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy

Prayers of Intercession

• Pray for family and friends

• Pray for all key workers
• Pray for those with no food, no clean water

• Pray for those in war zones.
• Pray for those alone, afraid, depressed

• Pray for ourselves.

Lord’s Prayer

Songs of Fellowship 425 (How great Thou art)

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Blessing

The God of eternity surround you. His Son Christ Jesus live within your heart. The Spirit of God guide you and give you strength. And may the peace of our Triune God comfort you now and evermore.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.

[Service prepared by Deacon Helen Snowball and adapted for BJCC by Phil Colbourn]

A Short Service for Sunday 12th July 2020

A Short Service for Sunday 12th July 2020

BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 12 July 2020                                                    

working with Nottingham North East Circuit of the Methodist Church

This short act of worship has been adapted from one prepared by Deacon Helen Snowball for you to use at home. Spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you 

Let us pray:

Creator God, we come in adoration to worship & praise you. God of love & wisdom, although we are apart, we are together in our love of you. Amen. 

Psalm 119 v 105-112 

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path … 

111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; the joy of my heart. 

112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end. 

Songs of Fellowship 51 Breathe on me, Breath of God

Prayers 

We lift our hearts in worship to you, Lord, and bless your Holy name.

Your Word lights our way across the rough & stony ground. 

We reach out for your hand. 

Lead us to firmer ground where we can rest in safety. Amen

Lord, we are truly blessed: 

Set us free in Christ to live life in all its fullness. Amen

Reading: Romans 8 v 1-11
1 There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus … 

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. 

Reflection

There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Being in Christ is like being in a team - Team Christ! - and that brings with it a certain amount of responsibility. A team works together for the benefit of everyone and, in Christ, that means everyone not just our Christian friends. But you’ve done that, haven’t you? You’ve all been looking after each other, phoning each other, checking; supporting, as far as you can, people in need. 

Teresa of Avila said: “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, the feet, the eyes; you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” 

This means that, together, we are to be as Christ on earth. It’s a tough ask, but we have his Spirit to help. Paul writes that those in Christ walk in the Spirit. The Spirit guides, leads and encourages us. The Spirit of Christ is alive in us. This is the way to live a good life, a Team Christ life.

 

I’m not sure I always live by the Spirit. No condemnation doesn’t mean we never do anything wrong. I know I fail when I think I can do it all on my own, or I’m in a bad mood, feeling selfish or just thoughtless. But Christ doesn’t give up on us and leave. Christ stays with us: abiding in us, renewing us and filling us to overflowing; strengthening, nurturing & guiding. When we feel tired or alone, we can be renewed and strengthened when we seek Christ because his Spirit is with us; he is for us, and he will always help us. 

 

Being under no condemnation, we know comfort & courage: we have comfort to share & courage to speak out; courage to live by what we believe & to stand up for what is right, as Jesus did. We are Christ’s hands and feet. Is there something he wants us to do or say, or to be thinking about? Are we ready to act as Christ here & now, in Nottingham? 

We’re all God’s got! Amen

Songs of Fellowship 21 And can it be

My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee. No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine ...

Prayers of Intercession 

We pray for family and friends and for all key workers.
We pray for people with no food or clean water & people in war zones.
We pray for the lonely, afraid or depressed and, finally, for ourselves. 

Lord’s Prayer 

Songs of Fellowship 1555 The Spirit lives to set us free

Walk, walk in the light.

Blessing

May the God of eternity surround you.
May his Son, Christ Jesus, live in your heart
May the Spirit of God guide you and give you strength
May the peace of our Triune God comfort you now and evermore. Amen. 

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.

 

Phil Colbourn / Deacon Helen Snowball 

Friendships that sustain us

Friendships that sustain us

That's the heading of a chapter in a book I'm reading during lockdown: Friendships that sustain us.

It seems to be exactly right for our situation.

The book - Scattered & Gathered by Neil Hudson - is about how we do church, what a church is and how to make sense of the way we live our lives. As the people-church, if I can use that term (as opposed to the building), we live most of our lives apart: we are scattered. Generally speaking, we only come together, that is, we are only gathered, on Sundays and at other specific times or events.

In this chapter in particular, the author contends that we can only be church if we care for each other in real and meaningful ways. To do this we need to know each other. We need to know what failures and successes we meet in our scattered lives and offer approppriate support and encouragement when it is needed.

 There was one quote at the end of the chapter I wanted to remember:

The most interesting creative and political solutions we Christians have to offer our troubled society are not new laws ... or increased funding for social programmes. ... The most creative social strategy we have to offer is the church. ... We serve the world by showing it something it is not, namely, a place where God is forming a family out of strangers.

From Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon, 1989

A place where God is forming a family out of strangers. That's us. That is what it means to be church. And at a time when we are all completely scattered and not able to gather together in any way at all, let alone Sunday services, it is something we need.

Jesus says: Come. Come to me and I will give you rest. If we all gather to Jesus, we can be together - virtually, spiritually - and find, together, that rest for our souls in these troubled times. And learn perhaps a bit more about being friends; discover what it means to be formed into a family by God.

Ends